Program Spotlight: Educational Psychology

Faculty with the NC State College of Education are transforming the field of educational psychology through unique conceptual and methodological approaches to the study of race and culture, with focuses on school climate, issues related to student engagement and motivation and cross-disciplinary applications of the work beyond educational psychology.

STUDYING HOW RACIAL ISSUES IMPACT BELONGING AND MOTIVATION

DeLeon Gray: ‘The Concept of Belonging is So Fundamentally Human It Has the Potential of Serving as the Connective Tissue Among All of Us’

Through his research, DeLeon Gray, Ph.D., is helping students to feel a sense of belonging in school and inspiring teachers to grow their knowledge by pursuing advanced degrees.

Meet Dr. Gray 

Christy Byrd: ‘When You’re Learning About Yourself at School, That Makes School Seem Relevant to Your Life’

After developing and validating the School Climate for Diversity Scale, Christy Byrd has been studying the relationship between school climate and students’ racial identity.

Meet Dr. Byrd 

Jessica DeCuir-Gunby: ‘I Thought it Was Really Great that We Were Able to Provide a Tool for So Many People’

As a graduate student, many suggested to Jessica DeCuir-Gunby, Ph.D., that studying Black students’ experiences with race and racism would be difficult. Now, her work on the subject has been cited thousands of times.

Meet Dr. DeCuir-Gunby 

BRINGING AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE TO EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

John Nietfeld: ‘It’s Hard to Explain All the Things You Gain from Interactions with All These Different People’

With almost as many international collaborators as domestic ones, John Nietfeld, Ph.D., brings an international approach to his work in metacognition and has inspired several international students to come to NC State.

Meet Dr. Nietfeld 

Margareta Thomson: ‘Providing Students with Opportunities in Various Aspects of Global Learning is a Great Benefit for Them’

From her work with North Carolina educators to her time as a Fulbright Scholar in Romania, Margareta Thomson has been committed to understanding how to motivate teachers and students

Meet Dr. Thomson 

NC State’s Educational Psychology program is unique in that it has the most professors I have ever seen in Educational Psychology addressing issues like motivation from a racial and cultural perspective.

Joanna Ali ’24PHD

Doctoral Student in the Educational Psychology Program

Nationally Recognized Faculty

Over the past few years, faculty in the College of Education’s Educational Psychology program have received several honors and awards from local and national organizations.

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Educational Psychology UPdates

More Stories

From Here to Everywhere – A TEDxYouth Event

After a successful first run, TEDxYouth@ChavisWay is back for its second year. Scheduled for April 13th, the event will feature young leaders between ages 11 and 19 from across the Triangle area to share ideas and generate dialogue about important issues. Maru Gonzalez, a Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences assistant professor and extension specialist, is overseeing the planning efforts in collaboration with Christy Byrd, an associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences. 

Professor Margareta Thomson Explores Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Motivation and Engagement in Edited Book

Margareta Thomson, a professor of educational psychology in the NC State College of Education, recently released an edited book focused on motivation and engagement from an interdisciplinary perspective. 

Associate Professor DeLeon Gray, Doctoral Students Outline Path for Communally Engaged Educational Psychology in New Publication

Associate Professor DeLeon Gray, along with several of his mentees from the College of Education as well as Michigan State University, are hoping to provide guidance for educational psychologists engaging in community-focused work through a concept they call a communal philosophy of engagement.